This invention relates to vending machines which use a helical coil to advance an item from a position of storage within the cabinet of the vending machine to a discharge chute, the consumer receiving the item through the discharge chute. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,203,589; 3,441,174; 3,591,045 and 3,601,281 disclose different vending machines of this type. These vending machines have discharge chutes, mounted either at the front or the side of the cabinet of the machine, and several item discharge units mounted in side-by-side relationship normal to the discharge chute. The units each have a helical coil which rotates to advance the items to be vended. Most of the units have a tray within which the helical coil is disposed.
For reasons of economy, a manufacturer of helical coil vending machines must make all item discharge units of the same construction and of a standard size. The size most commonly chosen is that which will accommodate standard-sized cigarette packages. Such units normally have one dimension which is approximately twice the width, or horizontal dimension, of a standard package of cigarettes and have a divider within and extending the length of the helix to split the unit in half so that two packages may be carried in a side-by-side but separated fashion. Since, however, consumers demand a wide range of products ranging from cigarettes having a large package size to little cigars, gum, mints and lifesavers having smaller package sizes, the manufacturer, to make his machine competitive, must somehow develop a way to adapt his machine to the vending of smaller packaged items.